How U.S. States Compare to Europe on the Human Development Index

The Human Development Index combines life expectancy, education, and income into a score from 0 to 1.. The UN uses it to compare living conditions worldwide. Iceland leads at 0.972. South Sudan trails at 0.388. The US? 0.938 overall.

But that single number for the entire US? It hides everything worth knowing.

Reddit user crazyboyhere made maps comparing each US state against six European countries, using 2023 data from Global Data Lab.

Comparing with Germany

Germany’s HDI stands at 0.959. Three states surpass it: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Minnesota. The remaining forty-seven don’t.

Britain’s HDI is 0.946. Twelve American states exceed that mark: Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia.

France is at 0.920. These seventeen states fall below: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana.

Poland’s 0.906 beats ten American states: New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, South Carolina.

Country	HDI
Germany	0.959
United Kingdom	0.946
United States	0.938
France	0.920
Spain	0.918
Italy	0.915
Poland	0.906

Where Does Healthcare Fit In?

Healthcare access matters most. Most European countries give everyone healthcare through public systems. In the US, you usually need a job with insurance or you pay out of pocket. Life expectancy gaps follow from that, and life expectancy is one-third of your HDI score.

Education systems work differently too. European countries often mix vocational training with traditional academics. The US leans heavily toward academic education. Both approaches produce high literacy, but they connect to economic opportunity in different ways.

America has bigger income gaps than most European countries. Europe tends to tax progressively and protect workers more aggressively. HDI doesn’t just count average income. HDI cares about how income affects actual lives, not just averages.